Street-sweeping machine.



PATENTED OUT. 24, 1905.

0. W: UOLLYER. STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 12, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 llIIlIIIllIllll- PATENTED OUT. 24, 1905.

0. W. QOLLYER STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

APPLIUATIOH FILED AUG. 12, 1904:.

H fll l l l-WI IH I H H I I I I IH I I U L I P I H HHHH W I IWWWH MW IHHI I H IHHUI ITED STATES PATENT OFFIO CHARLES W. OOLLYER, OF RANDOLPH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HERBERT M. BRIGGS, OF RANDOLPH, MASSACHUSETTS.

STREET-SWEEPING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed August 12, 1904. Serial No. 220,497.

To (LZZ whom it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. GoLLYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Randolph, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street- Sweeping Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable other skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in street-sweeping machines.

The object of the invention is to produce an improved machine which will collect dust from the road-surface and deposit it in a receptacle carried by the machine without the escape of the dust into the air and in an expeditious and thorough manner; and to this end. the invention contemplates a machine having means for sprinkling the road preparatory to the sweeping operation to prevent the dust from. flying into the air, brushes arranged in a novel manner for collecting and raising the dust from the road-surface, and pneumatic means for collecting the sweep ings raised by the brushes and depositing them in a receptacle for that purpose carried by the machine.

Other features of the invention will be apparent from the particular description of the illustrated embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1. is a side elevation of a street-sweeping machine embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the sweepingbrush and part of its actuating and supporting mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, of the brushes and a part of their actuating and supporting mechanism and the brush-guard; and Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the sweeping-brush. Fig. 5 is a plan view with parts removed to show the mechanism more clearly, and Fig. 6 is a detail of the connections by which the brushes are supported and actuated.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is constructed as follows:

The machine as shown is propelled by a steam-engine 1, carried thereby and supplied by steam from a boiler 2. The engine also furnishes power for actuating the brushes and the blower, as will be presently de- The sweeping of the road-surface scribed.

is performed by a brush 3, which is referred to hereinafter as the sweeping-brush in order to distinguish it from a second brush 4, hereinafter called the raising-brush, as it cooperates with the sweeping-brush to raise the dust from the road-surface and deliver it to the pneumatic conveyer.

In order that the dust while being swept up and collected may not fly into the air, means are provided for sprinkling the roadsurface in advance of the brushes. The water for this purpose is carried in a tank 5, connected by a suitable pipe with sprinkler heads 6, arranged underneath the carriage and controlled by suitable valves operated by [the treadles 7. The sweeping brush when in operation occupies an inclined posi tion in respect to the body of the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 1, its forward end projecting beyond the side of the vehicle, so that it may sweep close to the edge of the road. The brush is arranged to rotate in the direction. of the arrow, Fig. 1, while the vehicle moves forward, so that it tends to sweep the dust inwardly, and the dust therefore collects near the rear end of the sweeping-brush. At this point the raising-brush 4, which engages the road-surface in front of the sweepingbrush and rotates in the opposite direction, cooperates with the sweeping-brush to raise the sweepings from the road-surface. The sweepings so raised are caught by a pneumatic hopper 47, which delivers into a rotary blower 8, which. acts to constantly draw air through the hop' er and discharge it into a dust-passage 9, elivering into a dust-receptacle 10. By these means the sweepings as fast as they are accumulated by the sweeping-brush are entrained in a current of air, and thereby delivered to the dust-receptacle 10.

The d.ust-rece )tacle is provided with a hood 11, through which the air escapes, and the hood. is provided with a wire screen 12 or other suitable device to prevent the escape of the dust with the air. In order that the dust-receptacle may be uniformly filled, the dust-passage 9 discharges thereinto through two openings 13 and 14. A gate 15, secured to a rock-shaft 16, normally closes the open.- ing 14 until the sweepings discharging through. the opening 13 have filled the real" part of the dust-receptacle. The operator then, by means of suitable connections with. the shaft 16, such as the lever 17 and rod 18, raises the gate 15, so as to close the passage to the opening and deflect the air and sweepings downward through the opening 14, so as to fill the forward part of the dust-receptacle. The blower 8 is actuated by a belt 19, running from the fiy-wheel 20 of the engine. The blower is provided with fast and loose pulleys, so that by means of a belt-shipper 21 the o erator may discontinue the actua tion of t e blower when it is desired to drive the vehicle without operating the sweeping mechanism.

In order to guard the brushes and the pneumatic conveying mechanism from injury or obstruction by sticks, stones, &c., lying in the road-surface, a guard 22 is provided (shown particularly in Fig. 3) of such form as to deflect such obstacles from the path of the brushes. This guard is suported upon the ends of the shafts upon which the brushes rotate.

The means for actuating and supporting the brushes are constructed as follows: A casing 23, secured to the under side of the frame of the machine, carries a vertical stem 24, upon which a yoke 25 is arranged to slide vertically and to turn. To the yoke are secured the ends of the shafts 26 and 27, upon which the brushes rotate. The brushes carry bevel-gears 28 and 29, by which they may be rotated. The bevel-gear 28 engages a bevel-gear 30, fixed to a shaft passing through the stem 24 and carrying at its up.- per end a bevel-gear 32, engaging a gear 33, which is rotated by means of a sprocketwheel 34, connected by a chain 50 with a sprocket upon the engine-shaft. The gear 30 also rotates the gear 29 through gears and 36, carried by a shaft 37, journaled in the yoke 25. By these means the brushes wvill be caused to rotate in opposite directions when the parts are in the position shown in the figures. Means are provided for raising the brushes and the guard clear of the road-surface and for swinging the sweeping-brush inward from its normal position. A chain 38 is secured to the outer end of the guard, and a chain 39 (see Fig 2) is secured to the yoke 25. The chains are secured to a shaft or drum 40, rotated by a ratchet-lever 41. l/Vhen the drum is operated, the chains are WOUIlCl about the drum, and the brushes and the guard are thereby swung inwardly about their pivotal connections on the stem 24 and also raised a short distance above the road-surface. In consequence of this raising of the brushes the gears 28 and 35 are disengaged from the gear 30, and the actuation of the brushes is thereby interrupted. l/Vhen the brushes are again lowered, the rotation of the sweeping-brush causes it to swing to its outward position. The brushes are constructed in such a manner that when portions of them become worn such portions may be renewed or repaired without the necessity of renewing or removing the entire brush. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the brush 3 is divided longitudinally into four equal portions 42, and these are divided transversely in the center, so that the brush comprises eight separable sections. The sections are held in place by collars 43, 44, and 45, which have angular edges engaging grooves in the ends of the sections. The collars 43 and 44 are screwed upon the ends of a sleeve 46, which rotates upon the shaft 26 and carries the gear 28. The collar 45 is loosely mounted upon the sleeve 46. When it is desired to remove a section, the collar 44 is unscrewed from the end of the sleeve, whereby all the sections are released and may be removed.

The present invention, although illustrated in connection with a particular form, is not limited thereto, but may be embodied in many other forms.

What is claimed is 1. A street-sweeping machine, having, in combination, a sweeping-brush engaging the road-surface and extending in a forwardlyinclined position beyond the side of the machine, means for rotating the brush in a direction to sweep the dust inwardly and to ward the rear end of the brush, a cooperating raising-brush of less length than the sweeping-brush arranged opposite the inner and rear end of the sweeping-brush, means for rotating the raising-brush in the opposite directionfrom the sweeping-brush, and means for collecting the dust raised by the cooperation of the brushes, substantially as described.

2. A street-sweeping machine, having, in combination, a sweeping-brush engaging the road-surface in an oblique position, means for rotating the brush in a direction to sweep the dust inwardly and toward the rear end of the brush, a cooperating raising-brush of less length than the sweepin -brush arranged opposite the rear end of thelatter, means for rotating the raising-brush in the opposite direction from the sweeping-brush, a hopper located above the contiguous sides of the brushes, a blower for exhausting air from the hopper, and a receptacle into which the air and dust from the hopper are discharged, substantially as described.

3. A street-sweeping machine, having, in combination, a rotating brush engaging the roadsurface, a shaft upon which the brush rotates, a pivotal connection between the body of the machine and one end of the shaft, a guard located in front of the brush and secured to the shaft, and means for swinging the brush and guard about the pivotal connection to cause them to project more or less beyond the side of the machine, substantially as described.

4. A street-sweeping machine, having, in

802,682 &

combination, a brush engaging the road-surfrom the road-surface so as simultaneously face and arranged to rotate upon a horizonto disengage the brush from the road-surface tal axis, a ivotal connection between the and Withdraw the gear from the pinion so as brush and t e body of the machine, a bevelto discontinue the action of the brush, subr 5 5 gear secured to the brush, a bevel-pinion stantially as described.

normally engaging the lower side of the said In testimony whereof I aflix my signature gear, a vertical shaft carrying the said pinin presence of tWo Witnesses.

ion, means for rotating the shaft and the CHARLES WV. COLLYER. pinion to actuate the brush, and means for WVitnesses: 1o swinging the brush horizontally about its FARNUM F. DORSEY,

pivotal connection and for raising the brush HERBERT M. BRIGGS. 

